Acoustic musical instruments, such as drums and pianos for example, are typically velocity sensitive. This means that when a user hits a drum softly, a quiet sound is produced. Similarly, when the user hits the drum with a high velocity, a loud sound is produced. When a user hits a piano key softly, a quiet sound is produced, and when a user hits a piano key with more force, a loud sound is produced. This velocity-sensitive property allows musicians to create more expressive sounds and music.
Input devices for a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) can include velocity sensitive keys or pads. For example, a MIDI keyboard can include velocity sensitive keys that allow a user to create expressive sounds and music with desired variations in sound volume. These velocity sensitive input devices can also be configured to modify sound characteristics, other than volume, based on detected note velocity.
However, many touch screen inputs are not velocity sensitive. Therefore, for example, a user creating music on a DAW running on a non-velocity-sensitive touch screen wireless device will not be able to create music with intended variations in volume, or other functions, based on velocity of input.
Therefore, users can benefit from a method for estimating input velocity of an input on a touch screen device based on data from other existing hardware in the touch screen device. This can allow a user to create expressive music with velocity and other variations.